Driving Without Distraction

Maybe it’s a car full of kids and their mom on the way to a basketball game. Or a newly-wed couple giggling in the front seat. Or even a single person, just driving to work, thinking. We get a short glance of who is in the car next to us as we pass, or on the same row – we don’t know their story, and they don’t know ours. When on the road, we, as young drivers, are given much responsibility with someone’s life. And we can end someone’s life far too soon. Together, we need to help prevent the loss of those lives behind the wheel, including our own – we can do this by stopping distracted driving. By educating ourselves further on the rules of the road, being more cautious on new routes, and looking away from a phone, we can help reduce the number of officers on someone’s doorstep.

Education is key to safe driving – if you know the rules of the road, you’ll be able to conduct yourself and keep yourself in line with the law. When people first start driving, they have to take a test that shows they sufficiently understand the rules of the road. They also need to drive around with their parents or another guardian until they have their permit – however, is this sufficient? As a learner’s permit driver, I think there should at least be a short course in school required to help people drive. It would have greatly helped me if Driver’s Ed. was required in school, if applicable to the school. Other people can be helped too, and learn to drive with their peers. That way, children will learn how to drive safely together, leaving fewer people to feel left out or embarrassed – but also can learn from the mistakes of people around them, making their learning process closer to home. Driver’s Education class also helps people who really don’t have someone who can teach them how to drive regularly. Personal help when people drive will help the driver make better decisions due to the one-on-one advice from professionals. There are things manuals cannot teach; but other drivers can.

Knowing all the rules of the road and practicing can be different than really driving, especially when the territory is unfamiliar. If driving a new road or terrain, drivers should take things more cautiously, limit distractions, and not be afraid to ask for help. Driving slower than usual is not necessarily a bad move. By keeping with the speed limit, of course, you are able to better assess what is going on around you – for example, if you are used to driving on flat areas, you’d be more careful when going up a mountain. There are unexpected things as well – say you are used to driving in a certain terrain, but you’re unaware of wild animals frequenting the roadside or the amount of foot traffic in an area. Vigilance will help reduce any damage or bad decisions – this is helped by the lack of distractions inside of the car. Moms are prone to turning around and handing kids drinks or yelling back at them; young drivers with friends may try to impress friends and get carried away in a conversation; and many people are guilty of fine-tuning a radio or eating fast-food and finding a place to set everything down in a messy space. Let the passengers wait; focus on the road; turn off the radio and let the food wait in its wrapper. Paying attention is extremely important. Finally, being able to ask for help from passengers, or pulling aside to set up a GPS is something undeniably helpful when you’re unsure of where to go. Watching other drivers – the speed, the routes, the traffic – will also help gauge a situation.

Yet one of the most helpful things to prevent unsafe driving is making yourself not look at your phone. Today, everyone has a phone in hand – they text and connect over social media, make videos and play games or draw and take notes. I can be guilty of looking at my phone too often as well. Today, however, on the road there are far too many distracted drivers that have their attention taken away from the wheel because of a chime. Maybe something is important – in that case, connect your phone to an app so you can speak hands-free. You won’t have to take your eyes away from the road. Or, say ‘Hey Siri’ or something similar to have the phone read you a text, or call someone, and even have you reply simply by speaking. Having another person in the car who can take calls or send messages is also a helpful strategy. If there is no app or person to help, then the message or phone call can wait. Put your phone on silent or keep it in your bag, or in some compartment where you can’t see it light up. Finally, if a call is so important, take it – by pulling off and parking, or starting it and putting it on speaker before you take off. Screens take over our time, and driving is where you should draw the line – and not cross over them.

Driving is a thrill, a necessity, and a risk. By learning more in school, taking new routes seriously, and putting up the phone, hopefully the man on the way to a family barbeque, the group on their way to Church, the Senior running home to get an earring will all be able to get back where they came from. Distracted driving is something trying to take over our streets, from old country lanes to busy city traffic. As a society, understanding the simple measures we can take to put an end to distracted driving may just save a life – and one life is worth a simple semester, slowing down, and shutting off a screen.